September: 7 electro releases you need to hear this month

Mr Oizo 'All Wet' (Ed Banger Records)

What a year it’s been for the Ed Banger Records. Busy P’s French powerhouse delivers every year, but 2016 is shaping up to be one of its best yet. The first half has already seen EPs from Boston Bun, Borussia and Fulgeance and albums from label mainstays Breakbot and Cassius. Now, though, it’s time to concentrate on one of the most wonderfully weird characters in the game, Mr Oizo. ‘All Wet’ is the latest album from Quentin Dupieux, and this time around, he’s enlisted some of the biggest names in dance music. Peaches features on the sassy and spanky ‘Freezing Out’, Boys Noize employs his trademark ferocious riffs and crisp vocal cuts on ‘Ruhe’ and, perhaps most excitingly, Skrillex enters the fold for ‘End Of The World’, a track that can only be described as a perfect blend of the two artists’ styles. Meanwhile, anyone looking for some straight-up Oizo magic will draw for the eerie and odd ‘Low Ink’ as well as the disco-sample heavy ‘Goulag Drums’. As expected, the new offering from Oizo is a revelation – no-one quite does it like him. Now, with the help of his friends, he’s created another nigh-on masterpiece.

9/10

Valentino Mora 'Body Nostalgia EP' (IDO Records)

Valentino Mora has been making waves in the underground scene for a while, but not under his real name. You’ll know him as French Fries, the ClekClekBoom extraordinaire who makes technical, intergalactic beats loaded with tones, bleeps and bloops. Now, though, he’s started his own label, IDO Records. ‘Steamroom’ (6am Exaltation mix) is a mystical and well-calculated first step, as Mora channels his sound to explore the murky depths and venture into the serene. We can’t wait for more.

8/10

Dimitri Veimar 'Time' (Omnidisc Swim Series)

Around three years ago we stumbled across a remix of Daniel Avery’s ‘Water Jump’ that left us speechless. It was by a pretty much unknown artist called Dimitri Veimar and it got Avery’s seal of approval, as well as ours. Since then, Veimar has been crafting more mechanical tech wonders so it seems fitting that his next release arrives via Omnidisc, one of our favourite labels. Danny Daze’s darkness-drenched imprint has offered up EPs from Cliff Lothar, Deroboter, David Vunk and Daze himself, but his Swim series offshoot is just as fruitful. After an EP from Sebastien Bouchet that kicked off the sub-label, Veimar will release the ‘Time’ EP and our highlight is ‘No Floss’. The track sounds like it’s been lifted straight from
a Streets Of Rage bonus level or boss battle, and its chugging groove and mutant riffs make for another Dimitri blinder. Ferocious, frantic and fucking good.

9/10

Rex The Dog 'Teufelsberg' (Kompakt)

Rex The Dog is one of the best-trained canines around and his electro stompers have been the go-to for some of the world’s biggest and best DJs. ‘Sicko’ was one of the standout tracks of last year, and after a recent live set at Panorama Bar described as ‘blistering’ by someone who attended, we’re so ready for more high-octane weapons. ‘Teufelsberg’s two tracks both absolutely bang. We might go as far to say they are two of his best yet, and B-side ‘Shortwave’ is great, too: arpeggiated synths, silky vocals and drops that will have any mutt panting and whining for more. Form an orderly queue for these ones: they’re gonna get rolled out left, right and centre.

8/10

Clayton Steele 'Forget' (Fawn Recordings)

Another month goes by and another new label springs out of nowhere to establish itself in the business. While we’re
all for fresh new music and exciting new artists, we can’t help but feel a little exhausted by the sheer volume of imprints that pop up and stake their claim –especially when they’re just not that good. Clayton Steele is the presenter of Ultra Music Festival Radio which airs on Sirius XM, and although that’s pretty impressive, his brand new Fawn Recordings hasn’t quite got off to the same explosive start. The ‘Forget’ EP is the label’s first offering and Clayton’s taken the reins for what generally comes across as a pretty tepid introduction. All four tracks are light and airy and possess little punch or spark. They’re nice enough, but title track ‘Forget’ is instantly, well, forgettable, all limp synths and bland chords, while the aptly named ‘Come Down’ is likely to make you feel like you blasted four beans a few days back. This EP isn’t terrible, it’s just not what we expected to kick off a new label.

4/10

8TM 'Bankrupt' (Bromance Recordings)

Brodinski’s imprint has always been one of the best for new electronic sounds and landscapes, though of late, everything has changed. Brodinski and Club Cheval have both released their debut albums and are now touring the globe, Louisahhh!!! has her own RAAR label with Maelstrom and is performing on Radio 1 and Gener8ion has worked with M.I.A. What started small has now flourished, and we couldn’t be prouder. The label’s sound has also veered towards hip hop and despite Brodinski always having an interest in that genre, he’s now focusing the majority of his time writing for rappers. With that in mind, 8TM’s new EP on the label features four washed-out, low-slung hip hop beats that hark back to the Kaytranada record that dropped a few years back on Bromance. There’s clearly a lot of talent here, with ‘Chapter 11’ and ‘Goldrush’ showcasing slo-mo grooves and romantic riffs – enough to heat things up in the club and bedroom anyway. ‘After Hours’, as the name suggests, is more of the same, and ‘Outro’ is a glorious, sultry affair. On to pastures new for Bromance, and we’re certainly not complaining.

8/10

45 ACP 'Slick Response' (Lies)

L.I.E.S is a vinyl imprint run by Ron Morelli that doesn’t really have a strict musical policy. If it’s weird, unique, club-ready or possessed, it’s likely to get a look-in, and the ‘Grave Response’ EP from 45 ACP checks most of those boxes. It’s a serene, haunting record that covers more than one tempo and genre range, but here we concentrate on the A1, ‘Slick Response’. It has a pretty constant 4/4 kick, but that’s all that’s regular about it. There are feverish claps and snares, alien synth pulses and a clattering drum that adds a nice element of groove. It’s the most listenable and accessible on the EP, and once it kicks into gear in the second half with its beautiful melodies, you’ll be taken to your special place. This isn’t the first time L.I.E.S has done this to us; we hope it’s not the last.

8/10

Funster is Mixmag's Electro editor, follow him on Twitter here